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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · stock · present · field · lean · vault · rule · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. field — for sport
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. spring — a coil
  5. field — a subject
  6. lean — thin
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stock — shares
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stock — goods
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lean — to bend
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. present — a gift
  17. field — farmland
  18. rule — government
  19. spring — the season
  20. rule — a law
  21. vault — a safe
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com